


Bad Timing

by CharlotteEtienne24601



Series: Bad Timing 'Verse [1]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 5,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteEtienne24601/pseuds/CharlotteEtienne24601
Summary: Jensen tells Misha he loves him just as they have found out that Misha will no longer be a regular on the show (after season 6). They decide that it's not a good time to start a relationship, but they struggle with that choice as time goes on.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Danneel Harris, Jensen Ackles/Misha Collins, Misha Collins/Vicki Vantoch
Series: Bad Timing 'Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052021
Comments: 17
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter One: April 2011

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a continuing story that needs updates that I haven't already written, so here we go. But I'll definitely finish it and they'll definitely end up together, so don't worry!

One evening, Misha had just finished shooting and was looking for Jensen. He found him crying in his trailer, sitting next to two beer bottles and well into his third.

"Jen?" He asked hesitantly, squatting down next to him and tentatively putting a hand on his back.

"Hey, Mish," Jensen gave him a watery smile.

“What’s going on?” Misha asked, concerned.

Jensen sniffled. “Nothing, it’s fine.”

Misha rolled his eyes. “Jen.”

Jensen sighed. “You’re leaving.”

“I know, I’m not exactly thrilled about this either. Is that what has you this down?”

Jensen nodded. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Oh, Jen. I’ll miss you, too.” He sighed. “I’m going to miss you all so much. This has really become a family for me the last few years.”

“I know, and they’re making a mistake.” He hesitated. “Misha, I love you,” Jensen pointedly did not look at him.

“You know I love you too,” Misha soothed.

Jensen looked up, meeting his eyes. “No, like. I  _ love _ you.”

Misha stared at him. “What are you saying, Jensen?”

“I’m  _ in love _ with you, Mish. Are you purposely misunderstanding?”

“I’m sorry that a love confession is taking me a minute to process,” Misha sniped back. “No, I’m sorry. I...thank you for telling me.”

Jensen nodded. “And I know it can never go anywhere or anything, but it’s been nice to at least have you around and be able to have your friendship and everything.”

“You have really bad timing, Jen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I...starting a relationship long-distance is probably not a good way to go about things. But I  _ wish _ …” He pulled Jensen closer to him.

Jensen’s brain stuttered to a halt. “You do?”

“Yeah, I...for a while now,” he huffed a laugh. “I guess I should have said something.”

“Yeah, you really should have.”

“Well, you didn’t either.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jensen sighed. “I guess it’s not like anything could have happened anyway.”

“I...yeah,” Misha shrugged. “It maybe could have, but I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

“What are you talking about? We’re both married with kids, it’s not like...oh.” Realization dawned on Jensen’s face.

“Yeah,  _ oh _ . I don’t know about you and Danni, but...I don’t know, that might have been possible with Vicki and me.” He sighed. “But I’m not going to start a relationship right before I move away, especially with how busy we both are. I think that’s just asking for heartbreak.”

Jensen nodded. “Yeah, probably.”

“C’mere.” Misha held him close, pressing a small kiss to his temple.


	2. Chapter Two: May 2011

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misha and Jensen go to JIB 2011.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28LA3dd4sSQ
> 
> The relevant scene starts at 10:52.

Shortly after their conversation and decision not to date, they flew off to the Jus in Bello convention in Rome. It was their second year there, and they had a wonderful time, as always. They enjoyed running around Rome, spending time at as many landmarks as they could, and interacting with a set of European fans who mostly didn’t get the chance to interact with them at any other time.

Until, of course, Misha and Jensen’s panel on Sunday. Someone had insisted that they do That Scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, and of course, being good entertainers, they had to oblige. Jensen tried not to seem too invested in the way Misha looked and  _ sounded _ as he faked the orgasm on stage, in front of all those people. Jensen had to remind himself that he, too, was up on stage, and that it was imperative that nobody notice the tightening of his jeans.

Jensen was rather distracted for the rest of the panel.

When they got backstage, Jensen sighed in relief, sinking onto a couch with his head in his hands. Misha noticed and came over to him, concerned.

“What’s wrong, Jen?” He placed a hand on Jensen’s back.

Jensen groaned. “You were unbelievably hot when we did that scene,” he admitted.

Misha grinned. “Yeah?”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “You know you were, you asshole.”

“Well, it’s nice to hear, anyway.”

“I just wish I could  _ do _ something about it, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Misha sighed. “I’m sorry, Jen, I didn’t mean to make things harder.”

“Nah, it’s our job to put on a good show, right?” He shrugged. “This’ll get easier as we get used to it.”

Misha nodded. “It will. Hey, let’s get a coffee before the closing ceremonies, okay?” He patted Jensen’s leg, then helped him to his feet.


	3. Chapter Three: May 2011

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wrap party for season 6.

On the day they finished filming the season, they all trooped out to the wrap party afterwards. The mood was somewhat somber, much more so than for previous seasons. People continually came up to Misha to tell him how sorry they were that he wouldn’t be around much the next season. Throughout all of this, Jensen hovered nearby Misha, spending all the time he could with him in between interactions.

Jared attempted to cheer the two of them up, although he largely failed. “Hey, at least we’ll see you for the first episode or two, right? And there are cons this summer…”

Misha nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“And hey, nobody dies forever on  _ Supernatural _ , right? They’ll probably bring you back by next season.”

Misha shrugged, glancing around. “I don’t think Sera likes me, but maybe.”

Jared gave him a one-armed hug. “Well, we love you, anyway. Right, Jackles?”

Jensen gave a sad smile. “Yeah, Mish, we love you.” He joined the hug, burying his face in Misha’s chest. Misha gently ran his fingers through Jensen’s hair.

Jared eyed them curiously. “Did you two want to be alone?”

Misha glanced over at Jensen. “Actually, would you mind giving us a minute, Jar?”

“Yeah, of course. Uh...is there something I should know about here?”

Misha shook his head. “There very specifically is not something you should know about here.”

“Huh, okay,” Jared raised an eyebrow, then shrugged, patting Misha on the shoulder before heading away.

Misha led Jensen outside so they could have a little privacy. They stood close, but not touching. “Jen, are you gonna be okay?”

Jensen nodded. “Yeah, I will be. It just sucks.”

“Well, I’m not even gonna try to convince you it doesn’t. But, look, we’ll keep in touch, and maybe having a little distance will be good for both of us. We can let the romantic feelings die out and go back to regular friendship.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I just...I wish, you know?”

Misha rested his forehead against Jensen’s. “Yeah, I know. Me, too.”

Jensen leaned into it for a moment, then sighed, pushing gently back. “We should go back in and enjoy the evening.”


	4. Chapter Four: August 2011

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and Misha enjoy a day out in Vancouver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Bloedel Conservatory was my favorite thing when I went to Vancouver. It was so pretty and just felt magical, although the meta I was dragging through there wasn’t nearly as excited as I was.

Throughout the summer, they saw each other at various conventions. Each time, they took advantage of all the time they could possibly spend together, knowing it was now extremely limited. It didn’t help that they were never scheduled for panels together, and each longed for the joy and shenanigans of their JIB panel, which had been the best panel either of them had ever been on.

When they came back to set in August to film what would be Misha’s last episode for a long time, they agreed to meet up in Vancouver a day beforehand to spend as much time together as they could. 

When Misha told Vicki this, she gave him a knowing look. “Would you just date him already?”

He sighed. “Vic, it’s not a good idea. Trying to start a relationship while he’s busy filming and I’m working with Random Acts and home with you guys...West isn’t even a year old.”

“Mish, I think you’re keeping yourself from something that could make you really happy. West would be fine.  _ I _ would be fine.” She kissed him. “I won’t push you, though. Much.”

When Jensen told Danneel, she eyed him. “Are you and Misha…” she trailed off.

“No, I swear we’re not. We said we’d just be friends, and that’s it.”

“Hmm, okay. But Jen?”   
“What?” He asked, somewhat nervously.

“If you get the chance to fuck him, please do it. Just tell me afterwards, alright?”

He groaned. “Danni…”

“I’m serious. You’re obviously into him, you’ve told me as much, so just...I dunno, have fun and keep me updated.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen. It’s just too hard. Can we talk about something else now?”

She grinned. “Of course, dear. Whatever you say.”

Their flights got in about the same time, so they met up at the airport so they could split a cab to Jensen’s place, where they would drop off their luggage. From there, they headed out into the city, anxious to spend some time exploring as tourists.

They went to the aquarium, the art museum (at Misha’s insistence), and the Bloedel Conservatory before making their way down to the West End. Misha dragged Jensen into a grocery store, telling him that a picnic in Stanley Park was just what they needed to end a lovely day in the city. Jensen gently mocked him, but also smiled indulgently and went along with it.

Once they had eaten, Misha lay back on their picnic blanket, looking up at the stars, while Jensen stared contemplatively out at the water.

“I had a really nice time today, Jen.”

Jensen smiled over at him, leaning back on his elbows. “Me too, Mish.”

“I wish…” Misha started, then shook his head as if to clear it. “I’m so glad we have this friendship.”

Jensen sighed, looking away briefly. “Yeah.”

“Are you okay?” Misha asked quietly.

“This is just hard, you know? I want so much with you, but...yeah, like you said, the friendship is good.”

Misha reached over, briefly squeezing his hand. “We’ll be okay, Jen. This is hard, but we’re making the right call.”

“I know we are, it just sucks.” They lay there together for a while, each lost in his own thoughts.


	5. Chapter Five: August 2011

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misha gets sick and Jensen takes care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my favorite chapter that I've written so far. It's so sweet and I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort.

Misha was there for two weeks while they filmed the first two episodes. As time went on, it became clear that he was quite ill. At one point, he ended up having to vomit between takes.

Finally, Jensen had had enough. He insisted that Misha was done shooting for the day before bundling him off to his trailer to shower off the leviathan goop, then to the hotel where Misha was staying.

When they got there, Jensen helped Misha change into pajamas, then sent him to bed while Jensen ordered soup from room service.

When it got there, he gently woke Misha and made sure he sat up long enough to eat his soup, then tucked him back in to sleep. Jensen sat in an armchair, intending to be there when Misha woke up. However, Misha stayed asleep, and eventually Jensen drifted off.

In the morning, he woke to Misha’s voice. “Jen?”

“Hmm?” He mumbled groggily.

“Jen, did you sleep in that chair all night?”

Jensen rubbed at his eyes. “Yeah, I guess so. What time is it?”

“It’s not even five. We have time before our call, and we should both sleep more.”

“Mmmkay.” Jensen closed his eyes again.

“You can’t sleep in that chair again, you’ll wake up sore.”

Jensen shrugged. “I’m not going home now, it would take too long and I’d never get back to sleep.”

Misha patted the bed next to him. “Come sleep in the bed. I don’t bite.”

Jensen raised an eyebrow. “Um.”

“Haven’t you ever shared a bed with a friend? Come on, there’s plenty of room here, it’s a queen.”

“ _ You’re _ a queen,” Jensen snarked, still half-asleep.

Misha chuckled. “I’m not going to sleep well if I know you’re trying to sleep upright like that. Just come on.”

Jensen reluctantly moved to the bed. As they were both falling asleep, he heard Misha murmur “Thanks for taking care of me, Jen.” Jensen absently patted his arm and drifted off.

A few hours later, they woke to the sound of Jensen’s alarm. Over time, they had both migrated towards the center of the bed, and now Misha was curled on his side, tucked up next to Jensen and pressed along his side. He smiled sleepily up at Jensen. “Hey.”

“Hey, Mish.” Jensen gave him an awkward smile and got out of bed. They pointedly did not discuss the co-sleeping as they got ready for the day.

The rest of Misha’s time on set passed without incident, and then there were teary goodbyes as Misha left, not scheduled to come back until March.


	6. Chapter Six: December 2011

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen is annoyed with Misha for not talking to him enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying this! Comments make me very happy, if you're so inclined!

Over the next several months, they saw each other a few times at conventions, but mostly lived very separate lives. Misha threw himself into Random Acts, and Jensen worked hard filming the show.

One evening in December, Jensen called Misha.

“Hey, Jen!” Misha answered with a smile in his voice.

“Hey, Mish.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I just missed you. It’s not the same here without you, and we haven’t really been texting.”

Misha sighed. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been wrapped up in my work. Plus, well...it kind of hurts to talk with you too much.”

“Oh, Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you…”

“No, Jen, that’s not what I meant…”

“I’ll just...I’ll talk to you another time then. Bye.” Jensen hung up and buried his face in his hand.

Misha called him back. “Don’t hang up on me, Jensen Ackles.”

“You said you didn’t want to talk to me. I don’t want to be the reason you’re hurting.”

“Look, it hurts, but I’d so much rather have you in my life than not.”

“Then why don’t you text me?”

“I told you, I’m busy…”

“You text Jared back way faster than you text me back.”

“Oh, Jen.” Misha sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to get over you, and also get over the show. It hasn’t really been working, though.”

“Mish…” Jensen started.

“Look, can we just...I’ll be better about texting you, okay? And we can have real conversations. I just...it’s hard being in love with someone I’ve decided not to date, that’s all.”

Jensen rolled his eyes so hard it was nearly audible over the phone. “We’re in the same boat there,  _ you dick _ .”

Misha laughed a little. “I know, I just…”

“Look, whatever romantic stuff there is, I don’t want that to get in the way of our friendship. Can we please just commit to being friends, really friends?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Great, let’s chat, then.”

“Okay.” They sat in silence for a minute. “So...how ‘bout them Cowboys?”

Jensen sighed. “We’re gonna miss the playoffs again, I think.” He paused. “Wait, you don’t care about football, what the fuck are you doing talking about the Cowboys?”

Misha laughed. “It was a topic of conversation.”

“Okay, Mish.” Jensen laughed fondly.

From then on, they made a point of texting regularly and having phone calls whenever they could, and both were much happier for it.


	7. Chapter Seven: March 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misha comes back to film a new episode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is reasonable, I'm a little uncertain about the end of it.

When Misha came back to set to film “The Born-Again Identity”, he was greeted with hugs all around. After their first day of filming, Jared dragged him and Jensen out to a bar to celebrate Misha’s return.

“You’re doing awesome, Misha!” Jared crowed once they were ensconced at the bar. “I bet they’ll ask you to come back.” He grinned.

“From your mouth to God’s ears.” Misha smiled.

“They’d be idiots not to, Mish.” Jensen put in. “The ratings have seriously dropped since you’ve been gone.”

“I appreciate the support, guys. I’d certainly be happy to come back if they wanted me. Turns out a steady paycheck is really, really nice. Especially, well.” He looked uncertain.

They looked at him curiously. “What?”

“Vicki’s pregnant, we’re going to have another baby in September.” He grinned.

“Misha, that’s wonderful!” Jared pulled him into a hug.

“Thanks, Jar. So, anyway, yeah, the income is definitely welcome.”

Jared got a glint in his eye. “Is that all we are to you, Misha?”

Misha laughed. “Well, that’s all  _ you _ are to me, Jar.” He caught Jensen’s eye and they both looked away, blushing.

Jared glanced between them. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Jensen mumbled. Misha just shook his head.

“You guys always act like there’s something going on that I don’t know about.”

“Nah, it’s nothing, Jar. Just...uh. Just thinking about some conversations we’ve had that aren’t relevant right now.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay. You guys are weird. Anyway, Misha, tell us about what you’ve been up to lately.”

Misha grinned and started talking.

At the end of the week, Jensen hugged Misha tightly. “Don’t be a stranger, okay, Mish? I’ll see you in a month.”

“I’ll text you.” Misha promised, holding him close for a moment.

Jensen kissed his cheek fleetingly. “I love you.”

Misha pulled back and blinked at him. “Um.”

“Can I...is it okay to say that? It’s true, and we both know it, so.”

Misha sighed. “I...yeah, I guess. That’s not going to make this all easier, though.”

Jensen nodded. “I just...it seems silly to lie to ourselves about this. I thought it might actually ease the tension to just acknowledge, you know...what’s between us.”

Misha leaned his forehead against Jensen’s chest. “Yeah, I...yeah, we can try that.”

Jensen smiled, running a hand through Misha’s hair. “Good. Okay, you gotta go, or you might miss your flight.”


	8. Chapter Eight: April 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and Misha have lunch together in Rome.

Misha came back to film two more episodes, and then it was once again time for them to fly to Rome for JIB Con. When they didn't have panels or signings, Misha and Jensen made their way through the city, trying to hit sights they hadn’t seen the past two years.

They ended up eating al fresco for lunch at a small, upscale restaurant.

Jensen smiled at Misha across the table. “I’m really, really happy you’re here with us, Mish.”

“I’m glad to be here,” Misha smiled back.

“So what do you think they'll throw at us this year?"

"What, for our panel?" Jensen nodded. "I have no idea. More scripts, maybe? They certainly liked the last one." Misha winked.

Jensen groaned. “If you fake another orgasm on stage, I will actually die.”

Misha laughed. “So dramatic. We have to give the fans what they want, don’t we?”

“They want an awful lot of things we don’t give them. You know they want Sam and Dean to...uh. Be together?”

“Yeah. Did you just find that out?”

“No, but I try not to think about it. What the hell?”

Misha shrugged. “People imagine a lot of things. They even, uh.” He stopped and looked away.

“What?” Jensen looked alarmed. “You can’t just stop there.”

“Oh, some of them like to think that you and I are together, too.”

“That’s, um. Why do they think that?”

“Jen.”

“ _ What _ ?”

“Seriously? Okay, well, it’s partly the thing with Dean and Cas, and it’s partly because. Well. We  _ do _ have chemistry.”

Jensen blushed and looked away. “And they see through that?”

Misha nodded. “It’s not a big deal. Some of them think you and Jared are a thing too, so.”

“I hate this world.”

Misha laughed, placing his hand over Jensen’s on the table. “It’ll be okay. Most of them aren’t actually serious about it, they just want to see gay love everywhere they can.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Of course they do.”


	9. Chapter Nine: April 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and Misha discuss their panel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I hope this makes some sense!
> 
> This is the video of the full panel, which is lots of fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA70VdgQnAY&t=2001s
> 
> These are the moments in question, in case you just want to watch those:  
> 14:00 - song  
> 25:55 - alarm  
> 28:20 - Misha’s resume

After their panel on Sunday, Jensen and Misha had another debrief over coffee.

“‘We get a tingly feeling when we hear it, so we know it’s you.’ Really, Misha?”

Misha laughed. “It was entirely appropriate for the moment. The fans think you’re attractive…”

“They’re right,” Jensen put in.

“Yes, they’re right. And so they like things associated with you.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Jensen sighed. “Recording that alarm was fun, at least.”

“That poor woman. She thought she was asking for something entirely different from what we gave her.”

“What, doesn’t everyone want to wake up to my screaming?”

Misha leered. “Anything for you, babe.”

Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes. “Fuck you,” he said easily.

“Not touching that one.”

Jensen gave him the finger. “You wanna talk about your resume, then?”

Misha shrugged. “I wrote a terrible resume in my 20s when I was trying to get an acting job. Sue me.”

“I was trying so hard to get you to flirt back with me. Come on, when I found out you had EMT certification and then collapsed onto the ground, I was obviously expecting mouth-to-mouth.”

Misha rolled his eyes, smirking. “That is  _ not _ how I’ve envisioned our mouths touching for the first time.”

Jensen blushed. “I...um. Well.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Uh.” Jensen cast around for other topics. “Well, my favorite is still bicycle touring, by far.”

Misha gave a genuine smile at that. “I’ve actually done a fair bit of that. Darius and I have done some pretty intense bike trips. I don’t know that it belongs on a resume, but…”

“Do you, um. Do you and Darius spend a lot of time together?”

“He’s been my best friend for thirty years, so we’re pretty entangled in each other’s lives at this point, but no, he lives across the country from me, so.”

“Is that...you guys seem close.” Jensen added awkwardly.

“Do you have an actual question, Jensen?” Misha looked mildly annoyed.

“Are you guys a thing?”

Misha shook his head. “No, not really. We thought about it, but, I dunno,” he shrugged. “It was too complicated.”

“Is that just what you do with all your potential relationships?”

Misha looked at him with consternation. “Are you mad at me for some reason?”

Jensen shook his head. “It’s nothing, forget it. Anyway, bicycle touring…”

“Jensen, you know damn well there’s a good reason for you and me not getting involved.”

Jensen sighed. “I know. Just, forget I said anything, okay?”

“Yeah, alright.” He sighed. “So yeah, bicycle touring is a real thing, and…” they talked for a while longer before they had to go back to finish out the day.


	10. Chapter Ten: April 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cast goes out to celebrate after the convention. Jensen and Misha end up alone in Misha's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are my boys finally going to make a move? Who knows!

That night, they all celebrated the end of the con together, bar hopping while laughing and joking together. Sebastian’s presence was always the cause of some hilarity or other, and he and Misha played off each other, flirting outrageously.

As it got late, people started peeling off to their own rooms. Eventually, Jensen, Misha, Jared, Rich, and Rob ended up in Misha’s room.

Jared sprawled out on the floor with a beer, and the others sat around on the actual furniture, chatting, for about another hour before everyone except Jensen left, yawning and citing early flights. Jensen, also exhausted, crashed out on Misha’s bed, barely aware that he was doing so. Misha gently coaxed him under the covers, kissing his temple before joining him on the other side of the bed.

The next morning, they were once again curled together, Misha’s arm slung over Jensen. Jensen woke first, slowly turning over as he blinked awake. His movement caused Misha to wake up, too. As he gazed at Jensen, processing slowly through the haze of morning, he leaned over and kissed Jensen softly. “Morning, love.”

Jensen stared. “Um. Good morning?”

Misha blinked. “Oh. Uh. Sorry.”

Jensen smiled. “C’mere.” He pulled Misha close to him, kissing him firmly.

After a short time, Misha pulled back. “Didn’t we decide not to do this?”

“ _ You _ decided. I went along with it. And then  _ you _ kissed  _ me _ .”

“Is...but...we need to talk about this. We can’t…” he trailed off.

Jensen sighed. “Does Vicki know about this?”

“Yes, but…”

“So does Danneel. Can we just stop thinking so hard about all the ways this could go wrong and just enjoy it for a little while?”

“This is a bad idea, Jen.”

“Why, because you don’t want to do long-distance? We’re basically already doing that, Mish. We may as well get the good parts as well as the difficult ones. Can you let us enjoy this, please?”

Misha sighed. “You make a compelling point.” He moved back towards him, mouth hovering a whisper from Jensen’s own. “Are you sure?”

“That I want to make out with you for ten minutes before we have to go pack up and fly home? Very much so.”

Misha grinned. “Okay.”

When they finally got up, Jensen stayed as long as possible before heading back to his own room.

Misha gave him a long kiss as he was leaving. “Jen, we have to talk about this at some point soon.”

Jensen sighed. “I know, Mish. Can you just let us enjoy it for like two seconds before we have to deal with logistics?”

“Yeah, I just...it makes me nervous not to have made things explicit.”

“I know, babe. We’ll figure things out.” He gave him one last kiss. “I’ll see you on the airport shuttle, okay?” Misha nodded.


	11. Chapter Eleven: May 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and Misha both go home, an uncertain future ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NRE = New Relationship Energy

They had texted pretty much nonstop since landing in their respective cities. Both Vicki and Danneel had noticed their attachments to their phones, and both couples talked about it.

“Hey so Danni?” Jensen started as they were having dinner.

“Yes, love?”

“Uh, Misha and I made out. In Rome.”

She grinned. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. So that’s...we haven’t really talked about it yet, but we’re gonna try that now.”

“Awesome. Finally.”

“Danni, are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah, absolutely. I want you to be happy, and he’s someone who makes you happy. Seems pretty straightforward to me.” She paused. “Just, I don’t know. Use protection with him unless we discuss otherwise, and don’t make any commitments with him that interfere with your commitments to me, basically.”

“Commitments?”

“Well, don’t leave me to marry him, for instance.” She winked.

Jensen groaned. “I’m not...I would never…”

“I know, babe. I’m joking.” She considered him. “I just want to have a similar amount of your attention to what I’ve come to expect, that’s all.”

“I’m madly in love with you, Danni. I don’t think you have to worry about me paying attention to you.”

She smiled. “Good. When are you and Misha talking?”

“I don’t know, we still have to set that up. I think we’re giving it a couple days so we can settle back in with our families.”

“Good, that’s very responsible. Let me know when you guys talk, okay?” He agreed that he would.

Vicki approached the topic before Misha even had the chance. “Mish, you’re acting different and you’re staring at your phone even more than usual. What’s up?”

His head snapped up from where he was texting. “What?”

Vicki handed him West. “Here, take your son. I was asking what’s going on with you and why you’re so distracted. Is it Jensen?”

“Yeah.” He smiled softly, bouncing West on his knee.

“Okay, so?”

He bit his lip. “We made out.”

“Good, it took you long enough.”

“Vic…”

“Seriously, you’ve been pining over him and it’s gotten annoying. I’m glad you two finally figured your shit out.”

“I thought we weren’t going to swear in front of the baby.”

“Fine. Your  _ stuff _ . You figured your  _ stuff _ out.”

Misha shrugged. “We haven’t actually talked about it yet.”

She smiled. “But you will. Are you doing that thing where you won’t let yourself be happy until all the details are ironed out?”

He rolled his eyes. “Thank you for your support, Vicki.”

“You should talk to him, but also, it’s okay that you don’t have everything figured out yet. Enjoy the NRE, and the two of you can talk about the rest later.”

“Thanks, Vic. I’m just afraid of messing things up between us.”

“You won’t, love. You and Jensen have a solid foundation going, and you’ll figure things out.”


	12. Chapter Twelve: May 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misha and Jensen have a conversation about their relationship.

A couple days after they arrived back home, they scheduled a call and saw each other for the first time since Rome.

“Hey, Jen,” Misha answered with a soft smile.

“Hey.” They stared at each other for a moment, grinning.

“Um, how is it being back home?” Misha asked.   
“It’s great, I’ve missed Danni and Dallas.” He paused. “But now I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. Especially…” Misha laughed at himself a little. “Especially now that I know how good it feels to kiss you.”

Jensen grinned. “Yeah?”

“Fuck you, Ackles, you know attractive you are.”

“Yeah, but it’s still nice to hear.” He winked. “Kissing you isn’t half bad, either.”

Misha rolled his eyes. “Well, with that ringing endorsement…”

“Mish,” Jensen started, suddenly serious. “I want everything with you. It’s not...I want to have cute, romantic dates at the aquarium and wake up next to you and spend late nights talking on Facetime and just...everything, okay? I’m serious about this.”

Misha took a deep breath. “Okay, yeah. I want all those things, too. I’m just nervous. This could compromise our working relationship, and we’ll have to hide it, and…” He trailed off, biting his lip.

“Dmitri.” Jensen said, a note of command in his tone. “We will be okay. We’ve already built a really good relationship, even without the romance, and this is just going to make things even better.”

Misha smiled. “You called me Dmitri.”

“Yeah. Can I...is that okay? It felt right.”

“You can absolutely call me Dmitri. You should know that it has, um, other effects too, though. Like, it’ll sound like an order and snap me out of worry, but also…” he trailed off, blushing a little.

“Wait, do you think it’s  _ hot _ to hear your given name?” Jensen was delighted.

“Fuck you, Ackles.”

Jensen grinned. “That sounds like a good plan,  _ Dmitri _ .”

“Fuck, Jen, why are you all the way in Dallas?” Misha whined.

“Mmm, did you need something, Mish?” Jensen asked with a wicked grin.

“Don’t tease me, Jen.” Misha pouted.

“Oh, I fully intend to make good on my promises if you’re up for it,” Jensen winked.

Misha agreed that yes, he was very much up for it, and they spent an enjoyable evening basking in each other’s company.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: July 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and Misha tell Jared!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this has been fun. Thanks for reading! Comments make me very happy, if you're so inclined <3

The next time Misha, Jensen, and Jared were all in the same place was Comic Con 2012 in July. The two of them had agreed beforehand that they would find a time to tell Jared that they were dating. The chance came when everyone else had peeled off for the night, leaving the three of them to retire to Jared’s room.

While Jared poured them all drinks, Jensen and Misha curled up together on the couch in his suite. When Jared turned back around to bring them their drinks, he rolled his eyes. “You two are seriously so weird. No wonder everyone who sees you thinks you’re fucking,” he said casually, flopping down in a nearby chair with his own drink.

Jensen choked. Misha placed a hand on his leg and grinned. “Well, actually…”

“No fucking way.”

“Yes, way.”

“Are you shitting me right now, Misha?” Jared turned to Jensen. “Is this for real, or is Misha being Misha again?”

“Yeah, um. We’re dating. So.” Jensen blushed, looking down.

“So all those times I asked what was going on, when I directly asked if you were a thing, you just...what, lied to me?”

Misha shook his head. “We really weren’t dating. Like I told you once, we had agreed not to, even after we’d talked about our feelings.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “ _ You _ decided that.”

Misha sighed. “Yes, and I’ve told you I’m sorry for that, love.”

“So this is like...a real thing? Not just, I dunno...not just a casual thing? Because if it is, I’m worried about the show…”

Jensen smiled softly at Misha, blushing again. “No, this is for real.” Misha squeezed his hand and kissed his temple. “It’s just been since April, so this really is the first time we’re seeing you in person.”

Jared cleared his throat. “Well, I’m happy for you guys. I can only assume your wives know.”

“Obviously. Honestly, they were on board with this before we were.” Misha sighed. “Vicki really is a force to be reckoned with.”

“That’s wild, man. I could never do that.” Misha glared at him. “But no, whatever makes you happy, seriously. Do your thing.”

Jensen grinned. “Thanks, Jar.”

Jared pointed at Misha. “Two things. One, don’t you dare hurt Jensen.”

“Not planning on it.” Misha fired back.

“And two,” Jared said, as if Misha hadn’t spoken. “Don’t think that proximity to Jensen gets you off the hook for anything. I’m gonna fuck with you so hard.”

“I would expect nothing less.” Misha said dryly.


End file.
